Bianca Belair opens up on next women’s star from NXT, pre-big match meal and more

In an interview with FanSided, Bianca Belair spoke about which women’s star from NXT can be the next to win the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championship, and much more.

WrestleMania 38 is upon us, and one wrestler competing in a title match on the biggest show of the year is Bianca Belair. On Saturday, Apr. 2, the first of the two-night event, Belair is challenging Becky Lynch for the Raw Women’s Championship. Before competing for championships at WrestleMania, she began her professional wrestling career in NXT.

I spoke with Belair and asked her who she thinks will be the next women’s star from NXT who will debut in the main roster and win the Raw or SmackDown Women’s Championships.

“Raquel Gonzalez,” said Belair. “I was a fan of her, we were in NXT together. I remember when she first came in and I was like ‘I’m a fan of you, I like you.’ I think she’s great in the ring. She’s just an amazing talent and she does amazing feats of strength in the ring and she’s dominating, so I think she’s the next one.”

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Gonzalez made her in-ring, televised debut as Reina Gonzalez, in the inaugural Mae Young Classic in 2017, losing an opening round match to Nicole Savoy. But she made her official on-screen debut as Raquel Gonzalez at NXT TakeOver Portland in Feb. 2020, helping Dakota Kai defeat Tegan Nox in a street fight. From there, her rise in NXT began.

At NXT Takeover WarGames in Dec. 2020, Gonzalez got the win for Team Candice LeRae, pinning then-NXT Women’s Champion Io Shirai in the WarGames match. Gonzalez and Kai defeated Ember Moon and Shotzi Blackheart to win the first-ever Women’s Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic at NXT TakeOver Vengeance Day in Feb. 2021, and were eventually named the inaugural NXT Women’s Tag Team Champions. Then, at NXT TakeOver Stand and Deliver in Apr. 2021, Gonzalez defeated Shirai to win the NXT Women’s Championship. She held the title until Halloween Havoc later that year.

This weekend, a reunited Gonzalez and Kai are challenging Toxic Attraction (Gigi Dolin and Jayce Jayne) for the NXT Women’s Tag Team Championships at NXT TakeOver Stand and Deliver 2022 on Saturday, Apr. 2 at 1:00 p.m. ET. It will take place prior to Night One of WrestleMania 38.

Bianca Belair on performing in AT&T Stadium

Night One of WrestleMania took place in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. with over 25,000 fans in attendance in their first live show since the pandemic started. That was when Belair main-evented and won the SmackDown Women’s Championship by defeating Sasha Banks. At WrestleMania 38, it is expected to be filled to near capacity at AT&T Stadium, which can seat over 100,000 for a wrestling event.

I asked Belair what it will feel like to compete in the gigantic football stadium for her second championship match to take place at WrestleMania.

“This will be the biggest crowd that I’ve ever performed in front of, but that comes with it.” said Belair. “It’s WrestleMania, you’re on the grandest stage of them all, it’s to be expected. That’s how WWE is. We’re global, we’re big. To be in AT&T Stadium in front of the WWE Universe, in front of thousands of people, I’m going to enjoy it. I’m going to love it. I love our fans, I love our WWE Universe. I hope everyone comes out.

“Becky Lynch and I are going to steal the show, and I can’t wait to raise the Raw Women’s Championship over my head and celebrate with the universe because they are a part of this moment. They have been riding with me since SummerSlam. They have been a part of this journey. So when I get my redemption and I come out on top, they are going to be a part of that success as well.”

Bianca Belair on her pre-big match meal

Belair joined FanSided on behalf of SNICKERS, who is the presenting partner for WrestleMania for the seventh-consecutive year. Considering the commercials we have seen with WWE stars needing to satisfy their hunger, I asked Belair what her go-to pre-match snack or meal is.

“For me, a lot of people don’t believe me when I say this, but the night before my big moments, I always eat pizza,” said Belair. “It is because I’m very nervous and pizza is like a comfort food and it makes me calm my nerves. I’m a person who, I don’t start working hard when I get the opportunity. I work hard year round, so I’m very confident in the work that I’ve put in the weeks and days and months leading up tot he event. So one night of pizza is not going to hurt me.”

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For the seventh consecutive year, SNICKERS will return to WWE’s WrestleMania, this year joining forces with WWE 2K22 as presenting partners. SNICKERS and the WWE once again created some hilarious videos featuring some of Bianca’s fellow WWE Superstars, Otis and Chad Gable, Happy Corbin and Madcap Moss and Sheamus, which will bring more fun and smiles to WWE fans ahead of WrestleMania. The videos show each of the superstars either feeling ‘confused’, ‘oblivious’ or ‘unfiltered’ providing a satisfying SNICKERS as a solution in each situation. Fans can check out the videos on the WWE YouTube page as well as on TV screens during WrestleMania